Electrical plug receptacle



Feb. 22, 1955 R. B. PAULSON 2,702,893

ELECTRICAL PLUG RECEPTACLE Filed Dec. 24, 1953 INVENTOR 4/7 N RAYMOND B.PAULSON I i I BY M g E ATTORNEY-S United States Patent 2,702,893ELECTRICAL PLUG RECEPTACLE Raymond B. Paulson, Fremont, Mich.Application December 24, 1953, Serial No. 400,223 3 Claims. or. 339-119This invention relates to electrical plug multiple receptacle units andhas particular reference to an adaptor for electrical wall outletswherein one or more electrical plugs may be semi-fixed for transmittinga source of electrical energy from a conduit to household electricalappliances such as heating units, lamps, hair driers, radios a or powertools.

Many preconceived plug receptacle devices are adapted to an existingwall outlet or to an electrical conduit itself. In each of suchpreconceived devices, however, the elements comprising the device arecomplex and not readily manufactured and packaged. Moreover, such knowndevices are not generally readily mounted upon existing outlets and inmany instances the conventional plate is required to meet existinglaboratory underwriter requirements. This invention is designed to beaflixed by the simplest possible means to an existing outlet and isfurther contrived with a view toward obviating the bulkiness, attendantpossibility of dislodging, of entanglement or disturbance of oneelectrical plug with another in the same electrical outlet adaptor.

In general, the invention comprises four principle elements: a cover,two contactor plates secured within the cover and a floor member,spacing the contactor plates within the cover and securing the samethereagainst. Means are provided for anchoring the assembled unit to anexisting eelctrical outlet, the device being adapted to secure into apre-set conventional wall electrical outlet structure. The contactorplates are, of course, formed from a conductive material which isreadily stamped to create a blank, said blank being yieldable to formingfor insertion and securing within the cover. Whereas the preferredblanks are interchangeable, they are preferably individually formed toengage diametrically opposed apertures of an existing outlet at thebottom and to rest in adjacent relation to plug apertures passingthrough the cover at the top, outside of the device.

It is an object of this invention to provide a fixed multiple electricalplug receptacle which is readily adaptable by the unskilled to anexisting wall outlet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a semifixed electricalplug receptacle unit which may be constructed from a minimum number ofelements, the simplicity of detail of which renders the device readilyfabricated and easily packaged.

A further object o fthe invention is to provide a novel electricalconductor for a multiple electrical plug receptacle in which saidconductor may be formed from a blank of conductive material.

The objects of the invention will be more readily undelrstgod fromreference to the following drawings, in w Fig. 1 is a view in sideelevation of a preferred form of the invention, showing a completelyassembled electrical plug receptacle unit;

Fig. 2 is a view of the mvention in vertical cross section taken alongthe line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical cross-section of the invention taken alongthe line 33 of Flg. 1,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of an interchangeable blank such asmay be used to form a conductor for the device;

Fig. 5 is a side elevationalview of the invention showing at least twoplugs engaging the electrical plug receptacle.

Referring to Fig.

1, there is shown an electrical plug receptacle unit 10. The unitcomprises a cover memto join a wall such as may house an electrical plugoutagainst by a posed electrical contacts within tive and negativecontacts for let. The depending extensions 16 and 20 are shown in thesectional views of Figs. 2 and 3.

Groups of apertures 22 are defined within the roof 12 and ends 14 of thecover, each of the apertures being adapted to receive prongs of a commonelectrical plug. The apertures 22 are defined substantially adjacent oneor more portions of conductors 30. It is apparent that two or threeapertures may be provided in each group to accommodate both low and highvoltage systems.

In the construction shown, a bore 24 is made centrally of the cover forreceiving an anchor member 26. The anchor member may be in the form of ascrew adapted to engage the corresponding centrally disposed threadedbore of an electrical plug outlet. Thus, the anchor member when turnedinto the electrical plug bore will urge the cover member against thewall and secure it in place without further adjustment. This bore 24 andthe anchor 26 are best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Various other anchor ameans may be employed to secure the device to a wall,

however the preferred means is as shown.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 .there is shown one of the electrical conductors 30.Each of the electrical conductors is disposed vertically within thecover 12 and secured thereplurality of interior beads 50. See Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. At a lower extremity, the conductors are retained inposition by a floor plate member 52. As the device may be anchored to anelectrical plug outlet as at 60 the floor plate 52 will be forcedagainst the .2 depending Walls 16 and 20 of the ends and sides of thedevice and will be retained in position, the faces of the electricaloutlets being in contiguous contact with the bottom of floor plate 52.Floor plate 52 has aperture holding conductors 30.

The blanks shown in Fig. 4 are formed from a single sheet of conductivematerial. They are preferably stamped. It will be appreciated, however,that the blanks must be disposed within the housing so that thedepending and connecting portion 44 thereof may engage opthe electricaloutlet 60. The positive and negative poles of the electrical plug outletbeing diametrically opposed in any system, the plates 30 of the devicemust be adapted to engage said diametrically opposed contact members toprovide posian electrical plug. Blank 30 consists of a main body 32 fromwhich project a plurality of flanges 34. Each flange 34 is bent uponitself as at 36 to form an electrical plug contact member 38. In Fig. 3of the drawings an electrical plug is shown in contact with the contactmember 38 of the flange 34 of the plate 30. The resiliency of a commonconductor material insures positive contact between the contact member38 and the prongs of a common plug. Referring again to Fig. 4, thedrawing shows the conductor 30 to have a depending member 40 which isoffset centrally of the plate 32, the depending member being bent, as at42, upon itself to form a contactor extension 44. Referring again toFig. 3 it will be seen that the contactor extension 44 is adapted toengage one aperture of a common electrical plug outlet. The counterpartof the plate described above is substantially the same and may be madefrom a similar blank of material; however, in this counterpart theportions thereof forming the extensions of the flanges and of thedepending member are bent in a direction opposite to that shown in Fig.4. The reasons for reversing the bends in the flanges is apparent, eachcontactor plate being adapted to rest adjacent opposed apertures of thecover and each contactor extension 40 being designed for engagement withiiiametrically opposed apertures of an existing wall out- In assemblingthis device, the formed blanks 30 may be inserted into the cover and thefloor plate 52 passed over the extension members 40 engaging the sameand urging each plate against the interior wall whereupon plates 30 arefrictionally held by the projections 50. Once the conductor plates havebeen secured within the cover, the anchor screw 24 may be passedcentrally through the device to engage the corresponding threadedaperture of the electrical plug outlet. Upon tightening of this anchormember the cover is held against the wall, the fioor plate is heldagainst the plug outlets and the conductor elements 40 pass into theelectrical plug outlets. The bent contactor extensions 44 of conductorelements 40 are adapted to engage the positive and negative poles of theoutlet.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that a simple construction hasbeen devised for providing a plurality of neatly disposed, electricalplug receptacles wherein a plurality of electrical plugs may be usedconcurrently Without interference one with the other. The device lendsitself to facile packaging and too, to ease of manufaaclture, the plateparts, for instance, being interchangea e.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, there is shown a modification of theinvention in which at least six groups of plug apertures are provided.For convenience, the contour of the cover member is curvilinear, theends, sides and top being rounded at point of juncture.

Whereas I have described the invention with reference to preferred formsof construction, it is to be understood that various modifications inthe structure and contour of the cover, in the formation of theconductor blanks, the anchor and related parts, may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. For instance, the device maybe adapted to both low and high "oltage circuits, the number of plugapertures and disposition and configuration of contactor plates beingmodified as from a flat, unfolded blank; varying means for securing thecontactor plates within the cover may be employed, for instance theinterior projections of the cover may be crimped upon the plate tosecure it within the cover. I intend to restrict the invention only asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an electrical wall outlet, a semi-fixedelectrical plug multiple receptacle adaptor comprising: a cover memberhaving plug receptacle portions apertured to receive prongs of aplurality of plugs; a pair of interchangeable electrically conductivecontact members held by the cover and engaging the wall outlet tocontinue the circuit of the wall outlet to the plug receptacle portionsof the cover; a pair of parallel protuberances adjacent the plugreceptacle portions of the cover and extending inwardly from the cover,forming aligning pockets for the contact members; a contact memberspacer plate contained by the cover member adjacent the electrical walloutlet, said spacer plate having apertures to retain the contact membersin spaced alignment, anchor means securing the cover member and relatedelements against a wall outlet.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the contact means comprises apair of blanks; a vertical shank portion and a horizontal plug contactportion on each said blank, each shank portion passing through thespacer to engage the outlet and each horizontal plug contact portionresting in the pocket formed by the protuberances of the cover.

3. A semi-fixed plug receptacle adaptor for an existing electrical plugoutlet comprising a rigid cover having a plurality of spaced receptacleportions for plugs defined therein; protuberances within said coveradjacent said receptacle portions, said protuberances defining innerchannel portions; a pair of interchangeable electrically conductivecontact blanks for communication between plug receptacles on the coverand existing electrical outlets; a vertical shank portion and ahorizontal plug contact portion on each blank; a spacer plate containedby the cover contiguous to the electrical outlet, said spacer platehaving apertures corresponding to the shank portions of the blanks; thechannel portions of the cover and the apertures of the spacer plateretaining said blanks in fixed and spaced alignment to establishelectrical connection between said cover receptacle portions and theelectrical outlet; removable anchor means passing substantiallycentrally and vertically through the cover and spacer plate and securingwithin the electrical outlet to retain the cover, blanks and spacerplate in semi-fixed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

